Dell Recalls 4.1m Notebook Batteries

You may have noticed the coverage Dell’s infamous exploding laptop (below) has garnered in recent weeks. Well, it turns out the incident may not be the horrific one off many believed as the mammoth PC maker has issued the largest product recall in its history.

Laying the blame firmly at the feet of its notebook batteries the company has issued a recall for 18 per cent of its 22m machines sold between April 2004 and July 2006. This equates to an incredible 4.1m suspected faulty batteries and covers Dell’s complete range of Latitudes, Inspirons, Precisions and XPS models.

“Under rare conditions, it is possible for these batteries to overheat, which could pose a risk of fire,” admits the company site. Dell says it has now heard of up to six batteries which have either overheated or burst into flames since the turn of the year. Around two thirds of the machines under scrutiny are thought to have been sold in the US.

The Dell branded batteries had cells manufactured by Sony but the King of Proprietary has so far kept shtum over whether any of its laptops could be vulnerable. Free replacements will be provided to all effected customers and it will certainly make me think twice about using my machine without my trusty EdgeBLUR surface something these days I no longer consider as a laptop rest but more of a blast shield.